Sunday, July 22, 2007

Nobody for President ... Hooray !!!

I went up to Mendocino to pick up my daughter today. She was at Camp Winnarainbow ... it's a circus arts camp ... and more. Run by hippies and lefties ... and their children ... and now grandchildren ... and former campers. It was a beautiful day. It was about a 2 1/2 - 3 hr trip from Oakland. The weather was just right. In previous years, it has been hot hot hot. So, I was grateful.

One of the founders of the camp and the M.C. of the Big Show is Wavy Gravy. They put on this Big Show at the end of each camp session. Performers are all the campers and counselors. You might have eaten a Ben & Jerry's ice cream named after Wavy Gravy. I love the guy. He's been in the progressive movement for a long time. He's gentle, smart, and funny.

"Wavy Gravy is the illegitimate son of Harpo Marx and Mother Teresa." - Paul Krassner

Wavy Gravy said that Camp Winnarainbow's motto is: Toward the fun.

Wouldn't it be great if all our employers and leaders had that as a motto?

The Big Show starts with the Parade of the Stilt Walkers ... and all other performers. My daughter rolled in on her unicycle along with other unicyclists.

Right after the puppet show ... during a short intermission ... one of the puppeters said to Wavy: "My puppet's tongue fell out and I lost it." Wavy replied: "That's show business."

One more thing ... do any of you have teenagers? I could kiss Wavy Gravy's feet. My daughter came home with this lovely saying plus attitude:"Thanks for everything. I have no complaints whatsoever."She's said it several times to me. And it makes me laugh every time. (Shhhhh ... don't tell anyone .... I think she's one of the biggest complainers I've ever met. That's why this tickles me so much.)Okay ... I'm not delusional ... I know this will fade ... but I'm enjoying it while it lasts.

Here's a few more tidbits about Monsieur Wavy Gravy from Wikipedia:

During the first Woodstock Festival Wavy Gravy and fellow members of the Hog Farm Collective were put in charge of security, which was remarkably low-key: The backstage password was "I forgot," typical of the good-natured whimsy of the era.

Wavy called his rather unorthodox group the "Please Force," a reference to their non-intrusive tactics at keeping order ("Please don't do that, please do this instead"). When asked by the press — who were the first to inform him that he and the rest of the Hog Farm were handling security — what kind of tools he intended to use to maintain order at the event, his instant response was "Cream pies and seltzer bottles..."

Just across the road from the Hog Farm, Wavy Gravy has established the store "Nobody's Business," reminiscent of his "Nobody for President" campaign -- as in "who's in Washington right now working to make the world a safer place? Nobody!", "Nobody's Perfect," "Nobody Keeps All Promises," "Nobody Should Have That Much Power," etc. (His late pet pig was also named Nobody).

And that's why I love the guy.

And here's a photo I took as I was leaving the camp:Look at that purple !!!! Now, what was I saying about that lesbian mob ... Purple Throb in the Necessarium. Yes. Life would be so much more boring without the color purple.